tpm the philosophers’ magazine Issue 47 • 4th quarter 2009

Contents …

ACTIONS & EVENTS

4 5 11 12 18 20 23

From the editor News From Kuwait to camping in Wales

Mediawatch Philosophy and philosophers in the mass media

Aman’s world? Special report on female under-representation

Word of Mouse Illogical logic teaching

Hay on why Anew festival on the Welsh borders

Threads Ophelia Benson’s regular look at the blogs

THOUGHTS

25 34 43 47

The Interview Peter Singer answers his critics

The TPM Essay Christopher Bertram on a Rousseau for today

Letter from… Giorgio Baruchello in Iceland

Africana philosophy Lewis Gordon on being human

12

52

Sci-Phi Synchronise your brains

FORUM

56 61 67

Examined Life The film that takes thinkers on walks

Alfie Jonathan Webber on the perils of remakes

Hannibal Rising Dan Shaw on explaining too much

79

73 79 85

Inland Empire Daniel Frampton embraces uncertainty

The King of Comedy Few laughs for Ward Jones

Le Crime de Monsieur Lange Colin Davis on the ethics of Renoir

THE LOWDOWN

91 96

Snapshot: Spinoza Time for a comeback?

Pop culture The Twilight of feminism

I tpm4TH QUARTER 2009 tpm the philosophers’ magazine

91

REVIEW

102

114 116 118

New books Reviews of new books, including Butler, Cohen and Sen

Author Q&A Breakfast with Robert Rowland Smith

Imagine that Holiday reading

Review of reviews What the critics said

LAST WORD

120 127

My philosophy Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn

The Skeptic Howling at the loons

127

Philosophy Press, Dunstan House, 14a St Cross Street,

London, EC1N 8XA UK

Tel: 020 7841 1959

Fax: 020 7242 1474

editor@philosophers.co.uk www.philosophersmag.com

Editors

Associate editor

Reviews editor

Julian Baggini (print edition) Jeremy Stangroom (new media)

Ophelia Benson

Nina Power

Production editor Matthew Humphrys Publisher Edward Milford

Editorial Advisory Board Miranda Fricker, Simon Glendinning, Susan James, David Papineau, Nina Power, Anthony Price, Jonathan Rée, Richard Schoch, Barry C Smith, Jonathan Wolff

Design

Paul Cooper

Layout

John Perkins

Illustrations/Graphics Felix Bennett (cover), Pipo di Bressana,

Gareth Southwell.

Contributors Giorgio Baruchello, Christopher Bertram, Elizabeth Burns, Joseph Chandler, John Collins, Colin Davis, Luciano Floridi, Daniel Frampton, Lewis R. Gordon, Wendy Grossman, Mathew Iredale, Ward Jones, Jean Kazez, Brooke Lewis, Rajeev Seghal, Dan Shaw, Jonathan Webber, Jonathan Wolff.

Contributors’ Notes Contact the editor to submit proposals. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

Distribution by (UK) Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Tel: 020 8986 4854 (North America) Source Interlink, 27500 Riverview Center Blvd., Bonita Springs, Florida 34134; Tel: (239) 949-4450 Ubiquity Distributors Inc., 607 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 875 5491

Printed by Warwick Printing Tel: 01926 883355 www.warwickprinting.co.uk

With thanks toDenis Collins

Subscriptions UK: +44 (0) 1442 879097 North America: 1 800 444 2419 See page 17 for full details

© 2009, The Philosophy Press Ltd and contributors ISSN 1354-814X

All views expressed in TPM represent those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.

Cover: Original artwork by Felix Bennett. Design by Paul Cooper.

4TH QUARTER 2009 tpmI